


Brand You with an Inked Stamp

by Shoshanna Gold (shoshannagold)



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Banter, Crossroads, Established Relationship, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Sexism, Secretaries Are Actually Awesome, World War II, sweet talk, workplace shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 15:20:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shoshannagold/pseuds/Shoshanna%20Gold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Happy Yuletide, Trojie!</p><p>Post-Operation Market Garden, Nix shows Dick the benefits of a desk job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brand You with an Inked Stamp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trojie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trojie/gifts).



_Holland, October 1944_

As far as Nix could tell - and he had checked thoroughly - nobody was at their desks on the second floor, the battalion's desk jockeys clearly taking advantage of the quiet night and seeking out whatever pleasure could be found on base. Still, Nix closed and locked the door behind him before he headed up the stairs to the attic.

"You know what they say about all work and no play, Dick," said Nix, leaning on the wall at the top of the staircase.

Dick looked up, his fingers still in place on the typewriter's keys. "Nix, the jury sent back that verdict a while ago. I'm perfectly happy being a dull boy."

"Nah," said Nix, raising his cigarette to his mouth and taking a long pull. He watched Dick focus on his mouth. He exhaled, a long curl of smoke lazily floating toward the desk. Dick took a deep breath, and Nix grinned, taking another deep drag. "New evidence has come to light. As the intelligence officer, I've been sent up here to confirm its veracity."

"I suppose full cooperation is expected," said Dick dryly. 

"It would make it easier on you," said Nix. "But I have no problem playing hardball if it comes to that."

Dick shook his head. Nix could see that he was fighting a smile. "Better get on with it then. I've already been through most of one court-martial; I'd hate to think of where they might send me, if there was a second."

"Hard to imagine somewhere worse than the front lines of the Allied invasion of Europe," said Nix, coming further into the office. He took a final draw of his smoke and looked around. Conveniently, there was an ashtray on the windowsill - well, it had once been a planter, but whatever foliage had lived there was long-dead and the office's previous occupant had clearly redesignated its use, since it was full of cigarette butts. Nix stubbed his out.

"The Army might try to think creatively," said Dick. 

"God, we can't let that happen. It's bad enough when they try to think at all." Nix looked out the window for a moment. The base seemed quiet. But there were always people looking when you most wanted privacy. That was especially true when it came to the Army, he thought, and pulled down the shades and closed the curtains against the night skies, the bright autumn moon that was casting light and shadows all over the base. "Nice digs you've got here, by the way."

"I like it fine," said Dick, watching Nix close the last curtain. "It's quiet and far enough away from the rest of the battalion that Sink has to really want something to send somebody up here."

"Seems that Sink thinks you've earned a measure of peace," said Nix quietly. Dick looked weary, the lines around his mouth and eyes far too prominent, his cheekbones a bit too sharp. For a moment, they just looked at each other, silence rising around them in a way that they hadn't experienced since that last night at Upottery. 

"Zelinski was expecting a different kind of officer when he set up the office," said Dick finally, gesturing to the small table in the corner.

"Well!" said Nix, turning and seeing a nice collection of decanters and a few tumblers on it. "This looks promising, indeed. What an enterprising young man you have there, Dick. I thought that we broke every piece of crystal between here and Utah Beach."

"I haven't checked it out too closely, but I'd imagine there's something to your taste."

"Oh, there is," said Nix, happily decanting each bottle and sniffing at the contents. "We haven't been able to get this brandy in the States since the Germans occupied France. I shouldn't be surprised to find it in a post we liberated from the Germans: they don't share well."

"I've been told repeatedly, by several superior officers, that we're here to teach them some manners," said Dick blandly.

Nix grinned at him, pouring himself a healthy measure of brandy. He'd missed that sardonic humor. Dick had been quiet since they'd been on base. Probably nobody else in the 101st had noticed anything was out of whack with their new XO, but Nix made a point of paying exceptionally careful attention to Dick.

He sat down on the raggedy velvet wing chair in the corner and motioned to its twin, cat's corner to his with a small, dilapidated coffee table between them. "Well, now that they've finally given you an office befitting your rank, I think we may as well break it in the right way."

"I didn't know there was a wrong way to break in an office."

"It's not so much that it can be done wrong, I guess," Nix said, lifting his eyebrows and looking pointedly at Dick, still sitting at his desk, and then the empty chair. Again. "Sometimes it just doesn't happen, for whatever reason, and that's no fun for anybody."

"You seem to know a lot about this," said Dick, standing. "Personal experience?"

"Mmm. Get that lamp on your desk, will you?"

Dick turned it off. Only one small lamp on the filing cabinet in the other corner was left on. Nix assessed it and decided it was far enough away from the desk and the window not to throw shadows that might be noticeable outside.

"Not personal yet," continued Nix. "I was on my way to my own corner office at Nixon Nitration – this little company in New Jersey, you might have heard of it -- when this war broke out. But I come from a long line of men who've had offices and secretaries of their own."

"Secretaries, huh?"

"Secretaries are a very important part of how a man settles into a new office. In fact, the quality of the experience relies greatly on both the willingness and attractiveness of the secretary." 

"Is willingness really a factor in that kind of arrangement, Nix?"

"Oh, yeah. Very much so. Illicit workplace affairs are supposed to be fun. Not much fun without enthusiasm on both sides."

"So now it's an affair, not just an encounter of the 'wham-bam, thank you, ma'am' variety."

"Well, naturally, this does vary. Regardless, willingness is of vital importance."

"Yeah? I would have thought that _droit de seigneur_ would be all that mattered when one engages in an illicit affair with one's secretary."

" _Droit de seigneur_?" Nix raised an eyebrow at Dick. "How does a man who can't order his own coffee in French know a term like that well enough to drop it into casual conversation?"

"Is that what this is, Nix? Casual conversation?"

"For now." He gave Dick a promising look. "Answer my question."

"I took a class in French history in college."

"Well!" Nix raised his glass. "Let's hear it for William and Mary! Your French history class was obviously much more – informative – than mine."

"I think the difference is that I both went to class _and_ paid attention." Dick grinned.

"Probably took notes and everything, huh? No wonder they gave you your own office."

"You have an office, Nix."

"Eh. I have a desk in a room with a bunch of other guys."

"You have a telephone." Dick poured himself another cup of coffee from the carafe on his desk and came to sit in the chair beside Nix. Finally.

"I don't have an orderly, though."

"Yeah. I thought he could use some sleep. But Harry thought he should meet some of the men, so Lip took him to the NCO club."

One more potential threat eliminated. Nix owed Harry a bottle of the good stuff. Happily, there seemed to be plenty to spare on this base. 

"Harry is clearly a man born to have a secretary of his own. Gotta keep 'em happy."

"Huh."

"Dick. Your secretary pours your coffee, handles your mail, and talks to your wife – if you're one of the unlucky bastards who has one of those. There are some brutes who abuse their power and end up paying for it. Lost papers, missed telegrams and phone calls, clients left to wait for hours. Empires have been lost because men pissed off their secretaries. Willingness is definitely a factor."

"All right. So let's assume that one's secretary is both attractive and willing. Would her boss just throw her over his desk, unbutton, and have his wanton way with her?"

Nix choked on his brandy. "God, Dick. Don't do that!"

"Don't throw you over my desk, or don't talk about it?"

"Neither. Both. I mean – Jesus Christ, Captain Winters, you have become thoroughly debauched. By the end of this war, you're going to be a complete libertine."

"I've been taking lessons."

"Yeah? I'd better acquaint myself with your tutor, make sure he isn't misguiding you."

"No, I think you're already pretty familiar with him."

"Huh. Really?"

"Dark hair, deep dark eyes, great ass."

"Dick! There you go again!"

"There were nurses at the table next to mine at lunch."

"And they were talking about my ass?"

"Well, various asses around the base." Dick grinned, and Nix rolled his eyes at Dick's double entendre. "One nurse seemed pretty intent on yours. I think she might be looking to sign up for some of these lessons."

"Too bad for her. I'm all booked up."

Dick looked at him intently. "She was pretty cute, Nix. Are you sure you aren't interested in earning a little on the side?"

Nix shook his head. "My full-time job is more than enough for me, Dick. Better work than I ever imagined getting, to be honest with you."

"You sell yourself short, Captain Nixon. As battalion XO, I think it's not only my duty but my pleasure to tell you that we didn't know we were looking for somebody like you, but we feel damn lucky to have you," said Dick, his affectionate tone belying the formality of his words.

Nix looked up from his drink, his eyes catching Dick's. For a minute they just looked at each other. There was so little time for this these days, thought Nix. Time just to enjoy being with each other, not having to worry about watching Dick's back for a German bullet, nor serving a company of men whose lives depended on his ability to read a map.

Dick broke the silence. "You were telling me that my approach to personnel management was uncouth."

Nix grinned. "Not necessarily. I mean, that'd certainly be one way to go about it. But a man who was good enough to get his own secretary and four solid walls around him in a cutthroat company could figure out a better way to seduce his secretary. He's such a good man, in fact, that his secretary wants to reward him for a job well-done."

"Oh, so everybody gets rewarded?" Nix nodded. Dick smirked and lowered his voice. "How would you suggest one's secretary comport themselves, to welcome their boss to their new surroundings?"

"You wanna know how I'd go about it?" Nix's voice was just as low.

"Yeah. Tell me what you'd do," said Dick, his eyes soft. "I'm always interested in your take on these kinds of things."

"This might work better, if I show you how it should be done."

"Please," said Dick, in the voice that shot through Nix's dick straight to his heart.

He set his glass down on the little table between them and stood in front of Dick, rubbing his hands over those tight shoulders. "Atmosphere is very important. You don't want to do this kind of thing in a rush during the middle of the day. Especially not on your boss's first day on the job. People all over the place, non-stop chatter. You want to wait until later in the evening. You've both stayed late, because that's when the real work gets done."

That was only part of the reason he'd drawn the shades. He didn't want anybody questioning why he and Dick were in Dick's office at midnight, in the dark. It wasn't like he wouldn't be able to lie his way through it; he just didn't want the hassle.

Dick was watching, waiting, and Nix smiled.

"You've had enough of work, though. So you call me in, ask me if I'd like a drink." Nix rested his hand on his glass, looking at Dick, who nodded. Nix took a sip, closing his eyes and swallowing slowly, tilting his head back a little, showing his appreciation for the slow burn of whiskey down his throat. "I'd offer to get you one, of course, but…"

"I'm fine," said Dick, eyes locked on Nix.

"Oh, I know," said Nix, smirking. "Now, we don't know each all that well yet, so I'd want to make sure we were on the same page. I'd ask how your first day here went, maybe talk a little about what your schedule's like tomorrow. That kind of stuff. All the while I'd be getting myself more comfortable."

Nix wasn't wearing a tie, so he undid the top buttons of his shirt, looking at Dick the entire time.

"By now I'd be pretty sure that you and I both knew where this was going. So I'd ask if there was anything else you wanted of me."

Not awaiting a reply, Nix slid his hands over to Dick's tie and undid it, slowly pulling out the knot. He unbuttoned the shirt, and kissed the hollow of Dick's throat, taking a moment to breathe in the smell of his skin, musky after a long day. 

"Here you could say something, but there's nothing that doesn't make you sound like a fool. You're pretty suave, so you just look up at me - yes, good - and put your hands on my - right, there. Good." Nix's breath caught on the last word, as Dick put his arms around Nix, his hands pressing gently in the small of his back before sliding under the waistband and rucking his shirt up a bit, warm hands resting in the same spot where he'd just touched Nix through the shirt. Nix drew in a breath that was shakier than he'd meant it to be. God love suspenders.

Dick's head was down, forehead lightly pressing into Nix's stomach, and Nix carded his fingers through Dick's hair for a minute. Ever so gently, he moved Dick back a little and slid down into a squat, pausing when they were at eye level with each other. "I'd stop here, to let you know that it would be fine, if you wanted to kiss me. Some men won't. It pretty much depends on if they want this to be a one-time thing, or keep it as a business relationship. If you kiss me, I might get the idea that you like me, and that I'm going to be more than just your secretary."

"You're going to be so much more than my secretary," said Dick, cupping one hand around Nix's cheek and pulling him in for a kiss. He gently brushed his lips across Nix's and then pressed harder, running his tongue along Nix's bottom lip before biting down just a little. Nix opened his mouth; Dick angled his head and slipped his fingers into Nix's hair, deepening the kiss until Nix's tongue was in his mouth, then sucked on it. Nix's cock jerked violently in his khakis, and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to get out of this without embarrassing himself in a particular way. Luckily, it was winter and he could wear a long coat back to quarters.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but I'm not sure if you've got a wife waiting for you at home, and I don't want any trouble just as we're getting to know each other, so I move things along. I want you to be comfortable, relaxed." He dropped to his knees, his palms resting lightly on Dick's thighs. Pulling a little until Dick was leaning back in his chair, legs sprawled. Christ, the things that man did to Nix, the way he was looking down at Nix on his knees. "Yeah. Just like that," Nix said, his voice rough.

He ran his hands up Dick's leg, pausing at the button before looking up to say something smart about the creative use of office equipment at this juncture. Before he could even utter the first word, the air raid siren rang. Out of instinct, he and Dick both snapped to attention and started down the stairs, training overwriting desire.

They double-timed it down the stairs, on the way to the muster point in the cellar, and Nix couldn't stop himself from grumbling, "This never happens to those assholes on Wall Street."

Dick paused at the door to the second floor. "I bet they wish it did," he said, pressing a quick, hard kiss to Nix's mouth. "C'mon. The faster we win this war, the sooner you get to put me in a nice corner office somewhere."

Jesus. Apparently his little scene there had been incredibly motivational, after all. Nix followed Dick, thinking about the desk in their shared quarters.


End file.
